El-Rufai, Sani disagree over Kaduna APC ward congresses

Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna state last Saturday described the APC ward congresses in the state as an impressive exercise in democracy at the local level.
Senator Shehu Sani, representing |Kaduna Central, however, said there was no APC ward congress anywhere in Kaduna state last Saturday, just as Blueprint investigations revealed that there was no APC ward congress in most parts of Kaduna Central.
According to a statement signed by the governor’s spokesman, Samuel Aruwan, el-Rufai made the comment after participating in the ward congress at his Ungwan Sarki ward, saying “party members and stakeholders across the 255 wards in the state have worked together to deliver a very satisfactory outcome.
“I am receiving reports from all the 255 wards showing that the new APC leadership in the wards are emerging in a peaceful and orderly manner. It is an impressive exercise in democracy at the local level.
“There are no adverse reports from any part of the state. The reports indicate that things are going well. All the stakeholders are working together to bring about a strong leadership for the party at the ward level.
“The Kaduna APC will continue to wax stronger as a united party, whose members are loyal to its constitution, and are committed to the goal of serving our people,” the governor added. Our correspondents who visited Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Igabi, Chickun, Kajuru, Kachia, Kagarko and Jaba local government areas in the Central and Southern senatorial districts, report that only few party supporters and electorate were noticed at the primary schools, where the congresses were supposed to hold and party offices.
Blueprint observed that what APC did in most of the venues visited were affirmation and consensus instead of election. In Chikun local government area, the APC official, Adam Abubakar Ekene, told our correspondent that the electorate were waiting at the congress venues, while INEC official came to the party local government secretariat twice but there was no official from the state APC and national APC observers.
In Kajuru local government the wards visited by Blueprint, including Mararaban Kajuru, Kasuwan Maganin, Pamfura Kujama and Kujama there was no APC ward congress election.
APC chairmen in the 12 wards in Igabi local government area said there was no congress held as no official from the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was noticed in the area.
In the 12 wards of Kwarau, Turunku, igabi, Fanshanu, Gwaraji, Zango Aya, Riga chukun, Afaka, Kirawa, Birnin Yero, Rigasa, Sabon Birni, congress was only said to have held in Riga Chukun ward. Malam Umar Riga Chukun, Chairman APC awareness Forum In Riga Chukun, said that a winner emerged with 25 votes beating his closest opponent, who got 14 votes.
However, Nafiu Musa, APC chairman in Igabi ward, Ayuba Shehu, Turunku Ward, Hussaini Idris for Fan-shanu, Umar Chedi, Gwaraji ward, and Zubairu Yahaya of Zango Aya wards said the congress did not take place as scheduled. According to them, there was no information from the state officials of the party to explain why the congress did not hold in those areas.
Similarly, in the 12 wards in Kaduna North and the 13 wards in Kaduna South local government areas, there was no congress and no official was present to give explanation. No security agents were noticed in all the areas visited but they were peaceful as residents went on with their daily activities.

 

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